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Tokyo stocks surge

IwaiCosmo Securities Co. call center staff reply to inquiries from customers at an office in Tokyo on April 10, 2025, as Tokyo stocks turn higher with the Nikkei Stock Average gaining over 2,000 points from the previous day.

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Police Patrol During Spring Festival Holiday in Guiyang

Armed police officers answer inquiries from passengers at the square in front of Guiyang Railway Station in Guiyang, Guizhou province, China, Feb. 1, 2025.

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CHINA-GUANGDONG-SHENZHEN-LABOR DAY-TRAVEL RUSH (CN)

(230429) -- SHENZHEN, April 29, 2023 (Xinhua) -- A police officer answers inquiries of travelers at the departure hall of the Shenzhen Bay Port in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, April 29, 2023. A travel rush is on as the country ushers in the 5-day Labor Day holiday on Saturday. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

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CHINA-NEW YEAR-WORKERS(CN)

(240102) -- BEIJING, Jan. 2, 2024 (Xinhua) -- A staff member (R) answers inquiries of a citizen at a community service center in Haidian District, Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

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HUNGARY-BUDAPEST-TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE-FREE-CONSULTATION

(231029) -- BUDAPEST, Oct. 29, 2023 (Xinhua) -- A TCM expert (L) responds to inquiries of a Hungarian citizen during the 2023 World Traditional Chinese Medicine Day Free Consultation event in Budapest, Hungary, Oct. 28, 2023. In recent years, Hungary has witnessed a surge in interest in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as demonstrated by the success of the "2023 World Traditional Chinese Medicine Day Free Consultation." This event, which was held on Oct. 27 and 28 at the BOK Hall in Budapest, drew a large number of Hungarian citizens eager to experience the benefits of TCM. TO GO WITH "Feature: Traditional Chinese medicine consultation gains popularity in Hungary" (Xinhua/Chen Hao)

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HUNGARY-BUDAPEST-TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE-FREE-CONSULTATION

(231029) -- BUDAPEST, Oct. 29, 2023 (Xinhua) -- TCM professionals respond to inquiries of a Hungarian citizen during the 2023 World Traditional Chinese Medicine Day Free Consultation event in Budapest, Hungary on Oct. 28, 2023. In recent years, Hungary has witnessed a surge in interest in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as demonstrated by the success of the "2023 World Traditional Chinese Medicine Day Free Consultation." This event, which was held on Oct. 27 and 28 at the BOK Hall in Budapest, drew a large number of Hungarian citizens eager to experience the benefits of TCM. TO GO WITH "Feature: Traditional Chinese medicine consultation gains popularity in Hungary" (Xinhua/Chen Hao)

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HUNGARY-BUDAPEST-TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE-FREE-CONSULTATION

(231029) -- BUDAPEST, Oct. 29, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Chen Zhen, the president of the Central and Eastern European TCM Association, responds to inquiries of a Hungarian citizen during the 2023 World Traditional Chinese Medicine Day Free Consultation event in Budapest, Hungary on Oct. 28, 2023. In recent years, Hungary has witnessed a surge in interest in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as demonstrated by the success of the "2023 World Traditional Chinese Medicine Day Free Consultation." This event, which was held on Oct. 27 and 28 at the BOK Hall in Budapest, drew a large number of Hungarian citizens eager to experience the benefits of TCM. TO GO WITH "Feature: Traditional Chinese medicine consultation gains popularity in Hungary" (Xinhua/Chen Hao)

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CHINA-GUANGDONG-SHENZHEN-LABOR DAY-TRAVEL RUSH (CN)

(230429) -- SHENZHEN, April 29, 2023 (Xinhua) -- A police officer answers inquiries of travelers at the departure hall of the Shenzhen Bay Port in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, April 29, 2023. A travel rush is on as the country ushers in the 5-day Labor Day holiday on Saturday. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

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Italian business community anticipates more opportunities at 6th CIIE

STORY: Italian business community anticipates more opportunities at 6th CIIE DATELINE: April 23, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:13 LOCATION: MILAN, Italy CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the promoting event 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): FAN XIANWEI, Secretary General of Italian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Italian): MARIO BOSELLI, President of the Italian China Council Foundation (ICCF) 4. various of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) (file) STORYLINE: Italian business professionals said the influence of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) has grown in Italy as more Italian enterprises are seeking to tap into the continuously expanding Chinese market. They made the remarks Friday at an event in Milan promoting the 6th CIIE. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): FAN XIANWEI, Secretary General of Italian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce "CIIE is very influential in Italy. We are all looking forward to attending this year's CIIE. When many local enterprises make inquiries with us, they hope that more of

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Demand soars for tennis star's favorite fish

MATSUE, Japan - Inquiries have been swelling with fish merchants in western Japan about the rosy seabass, shown in this file photo taken on Sept. 29, 2014, since Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori revealed his liking for the fish at a press conference following the 2014 U.S. Open Championships in June. The high-priced fish, called "nodoguro" (black throat) in Japan, is a specialty of his home prefecture of Shimane.

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Deaf bartender lures customers with friendly personality

TOKYO, Japan - Photo taken April 23, 2013 shows a writing board at bar Bell Sign in Tokyo's Ginza district, for people without auditory difficulties to place orders and make inquiries. Hearing-impaired bartender Dai Igarashi manages the bar. (Photo by Makoto Hori)

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Card-free ATM

GIFU, Japan - A customer places her palm on the censor of an automated teller machine for identification at the Hashima city branch of Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank in Gifu Prefecture on Sept. 26, 2012. The regional bank based in the prefecture started the same day operating ATMs for cash withdrawals, deposits and balance inquiries that do not require plastic cards but instead identify account holders by scanning their hands.

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Aftermath of powerful typhoon in Okinawa

NAHA, Japan - Tourists make inquiries at Naha airport in Okinawa Prefecture on the morning of Aug. 27, 2012, as the season's 15th typhoon, one of the most powerful in many years, brought much of the traffic to a standstill in and around Okinawa. Domestic airlines continued grounding most of their flights after the typhoon hit the southern Japanese island the previous day.

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Alico Japan says credit card fraud inquiries expand to 2,700

TOKYO, Japan - Executives of insurer Alico Japan apologize during a news conference in Tokyo on July 30. The company said the number of credit card fraud inquiries had increased to some 2,700 as of July 29 from an earlier reported level of 2,200 in connection with the suspected leakage of credit card data of some Alico Japan customers.

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180,000 faulty fire-alarm devices being recalled

TOKYO, Japan - A faulty battery-operated fire-alarm device sold by Max Co. is being recalled as the battery system has a much shorter life than advertised, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Nov. 8. The agency said a total of 180,000 fire-alarm devices in four models sold by the Tokyo-based Max and the Fukuoka-based company Ochi Sangyo are being recalled. The four models affected are KK-DS40-10 (photo), KK-DS40-2, KK-DH40-10, KK-DH40-2 sold by Max, and OK-DS01-10 sold by Ochi Sangyo. For inquiries, call 0120-301-359. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, the batteries in two of the faulty fire-alarms went dead in about two months, instead of 10 years and two years as advertised.

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Eating utensils donated to Niigata quake victims

NIIGATA, Japan - Students of the Kashiwazaki Comprehensive High School in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture use their school gymnasium to sort out eating utensils donated by people around Japan to victims of the July 16 earthquake in Niigata. The donation campaign was launched by a Kobe-based non-profit organization after the city was destroyed by the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake. Isao Arai, head of the NPO Himawari-no-Yume Kikaku (Project Sunflower Dream), says the utensils would be distributed to the quake victims from mid-August after they move into temporary housing being built by the government. Phone number for inquiries on the donation campaign: 078-787-7387.

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Insurance agency staffers busy accepting inquiries

TOKYO, Japan - Social Insurance Agency staffers reply to pension inquiries from people fearing possible loss of their pension account data at a provisional telephone center in Tokyo on June 15. The agency allowed the media to enter the center.

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Flight schedules affected by typhoon

TOKYO, Japan - Airline workers are busy handling travelers' inquiries about flights at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Aug. 26, after Typhoon Mawar forced the cancellation of some domestic and international flights out of the airport.

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Ailing crow found infected with bird flu virus in Osaka Pref.

OSAKA, Japan - Officers at Ibaraki Police Station are busy answering calls of inquiries March 10 after an ailing crow caught in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture, has tested positive for bird flu virus. The crow was taken to the police station on March 5 by a person who caught it.

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Mask maker ups production on flood of orders amid SARS scare

ASAHIKAWA, Japan - Workers at Japan Medical Products Co., a major manufacturer of surgical masks based in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, are busy. The company has been flooded with orders and inquiries from individuals and companies due to concerns over the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

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Document shows secret U.S.-Japan pact on Okinawa reversion

WASHINGTON, United States - Photo shows copies of a recently declassified U.S. government document that confirmed the existence of a secret pact between Washington and Tokyo concerning the 1972 reversion of Okinawa to Japanese rule. Under the secret pact, Japan assumed the $4 million cost the U.S. was supposed to pay to restore Okinawa land to its original state as ''the classified U.S.-GOJ (the government of Japan) understanding'' and Japan has asked the U.S. to flatly deny the existence of such a pact to press inquiries.

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Tanaka unreachable while nemesis Suzuki testifies in Diet

TOKYO, Japan - Former Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka's office in Tokyo posts a notice on the door March 11 saying she would not respond to inquiries from news organizations as her political enemy lawmaker Muneo Suzuki testified as a sworn witness before the Diet about allegations of his involvement in Foreign Ministry affairs.

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N. Korea does U-turn on join Korean table tennis team

OSAKA, Japan - Officials of the organizing committee for the table tennis world championships, to begin in Osaka in April, are busy answering inquiries March 28 following reports that North Korea has done a U-turn on an agreement to form a united Korean table tennis team for the championships.

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Telecoms start taking 'Myline' preferred-carrier applications

TOKYO, Japan - Telephone operators are busy Jan. 10 as carriers across Japan began accepting applications for a new, industry-wide service to be launched in May called ''Myline,'' which allows users to select their preferred carrier. As many as 2,000 calls, including inquiries, were received in the morning alone at the two Myline centers jointly set up by the 13 carriers, reflecting user interest.

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Tokyo travel agency hit with inquiries on Austrian train fire

TOKYO, Japan - Employees at a travel agency in Tokyo on Nov. 12 rush to respond to inquiries in the wake of a train fire in Austria in which 10 Japanese are feared to be among the dead. About 170 people were killed when a funicular train packed with youthful skiers caught fire in an Alpine tunnel in northern Austria on Nov. 11. The Japanese were on their way to Mt. Kitzsteinhorn via the train but it is uncertain whether they were actually aboard the train when the tragedy occurred.

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Ono noncommittal

URAWA, Japan - Japan midfielder Shinji Ono meets the press at his club Urawa Reds on Dec. 9 following reports that the relegated J-League club has received written inquiries about him from five European first-division clubs. Ono remained noncommittal at the news conference. An Urawa spokesman said the five clubs are AS Roma and Bologna -- both in Italy's Serie A -- English Premier League side Arsenal, French club Monaco and Dutch powerhouse Ajax.

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Wako Metal Industry's hot-dip zinc aluminum alloy plating "Wako AZ Galva Leo

Wako AZ Galva Leo (photo), a highly corrosion-resistant hot-dip zinc-aluminum alloy coating produced by Wako Metal Industry Co. in Suminoe Ward, Osaka City, is expanding its lineup. Because it boasts 10 times higher corrosion resistance than hot-dip galvanizing, it has been used mostly for measures against salt damage, but it has begun to be used for ordinary infrastructure applications such as bridges and overhead wires. The process contains 5% aluminum and 1% magnesium, and the company uses it for plating small items such as bolts and washers. The company says it is receiving an increasing number of inquiries from customers who want to extend the service life of their products, since rust from these fastening materials can easily damage them. (Photo taken on December 12, 2019, location unknown, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images)

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Muscle Suit Every", a wearable robot from Innophis

Sales of Muscle Suit Every, a wearable robot produced by Innophis (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo), are increasing rapidly, thanks to the company's decision to lower the price of the new model from 498,000 yen to 136,000 yen (excluding consumption tax) when it was launched in November.Muscle suits have been known to reduce the burden of back pain in nursing care and agricultural work. "However, many customers were reluctant to buy them because they cost around 500,000 yen,' he said. The company has expanded its sales channels, and the general public has come to see the product in stores. "In addition to conventional customers, inquiries come from many fields, such as home care," he said, raising a happy cry. (Photo taken on December 18, 2019, location unknown, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images)

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Maintenance of industrial robots installed at Daihen's customers' sites

Daihen will start a service to realize maintenance of industrial robots installed at customers' sites via the Internet within the month. The service will appeal to small and medium-sized companies that are not familiar with handling robots. Daihen's IoT (Internet of Things) compatible FD19 robot controller is connected to the Internet (photo) to enable remote operation. This enables accurate confirmation of information that cannot be obtained by telephone inquiries alone, and is expected to reduce the burden of on-site response. There is no charge for using the maintenance service. In the future, the company plans to expand the service to overseas markets such as Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States by utilizing the service centers it has established around the world. Photo taken on December 6, 2019, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images

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Orevo, a convenience store, has introduced an AI-based automatic checkout system for side dishes.

In the convenience store industry, where intensifying competition has been combined with a shortage of labor, the three major companies are workingto demonstrate unmanned cash registers and review 24-hour operations. In such a situation, Ishida (Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City), a long-established weighing scale manufacturer, has teamed up with Orebo, a regional convenience store in Fukui Prefecture, to develop a new system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to save labor at the cash register. The price of the system, excluding consumption tax, is about 3 million yen. Although it is more expensive than Ishida's regular scales, it is expected to save labor in processing and cooking areas of supermarkets in addition to stores that handle side dishes, and inquiries are strong. Photo taken on November 13, 2019, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images

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Inspection Robot for Jibiru Survey Design

Jibiru Survey & Design (Fukui City) has completed a dedicated base for bridge inspection support robots on land adjacent to its headquarters plant. The investment was about 40 million yen. The company expects to receive more inquiries after its robot was listed in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's new technology guidelines, and aims to receive orders for the inspection of about 400 bridges a year. In 2008, Jibiru Survey & Design entered the bridge inspection robot business, aiming to diversify its business from construction consulting. By the end of March 2007, the company had inspected 334 bridges. In February 2007, the Japanese government published a list of guidelines and new technologies that can be used as a guide for bridge inspections, and the company's robots were included in the list. Photo taken on August 6, 2019, date unknown, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images

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STOP Pedal" commercialized by Nanki Industry

Nanki Industries (Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture) has been getting a lot of attention for its "STOP Pedal," which has increased from two to three inquiries a day to 20 to 30 inquiries a day as traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers stepping on the wrong pedal have become a social problem. "The number of inquiries has increased from two to three a day to 20 to 30 a day, as traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers mistakenly stepping on the gas pedal have become a social problem," said Mr. Minami. The product is installed in place of the accelerator pedal in automobiles. The only problem is that the system is not compatible with all car models and production cannot keep up with the demand. We want to reduce the number of traffic accidents and eliminate accidents caused by wrong steps," said Mr. Minami. (Photo taken on July 4, 2019, location unknown, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images)

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Kyodo Giken Chemical's Liquid Crystal Polymer Film

Liquid crystal polymer (LCP) film is expected to see a sharp increase in demand for 5th generation communication (5G) devices. LCP film is considered promising as a base material for flexible printed circuit boards (FPCs) due to its features such as low noise, low power consumption, and ultra miniaturization. Kyodo Giken Chemical (Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture) is a small and medium-sized company that has started mass production. In the military industry, this is a matter of life and death. Because of this, Kyodo Giken began to receive a flood of inquiries about LCP, mainly from overseas companies. This is not the only strength of Kyodo Giken. LCP film is susceptible to lateral force and tears easily. This further suppresses noise, and the thickness of the copper foil can be reduced to 5 micrometers, making it possible to create ultra-fine circuit patterns. Photo taken on April 24, 2019, location unknown, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images

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Tanaka unreachable while nemesis Suzuki testifies in Diet

TOKYO, Japan - Former Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka's office in Tokyo posts a notice on the door March 11 saying she would not respond to inquiries from news organizations as her political enemy lawmaker Muneo Suzuki testified as a sworn witness before the Diet about allegations of his involvement in Foreign Ministry affairs.

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Insurance agency staffers busy accepting inquiries

TOKYO, Japan - Social Insurance Agency staffers reply to pension inquiries from people fearing possible loss of their pension account data at a provisional telephone center in Tokyo on June 15. The agency allowed the media to enter the center. (Kyodo)

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180,000 faulty fire-alarm devices being recalled

TOKYO, Japan - A faulty battery-operated fire-alarm device sold by Max Co. is being recalled as the battery system has a much shorter life than advertised, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Nov. 8. The agency said a total of 180,000 fire-alarm devices in four models sold by the Tokyo-based Max and the Fukuoka-based company Ochi Sangyo are being recalled. The four models affected are KK-DS40-10 (photo), KK-DS40-2, KK-DH40-10, KK-DH40-2 sold by Max, and OK-DS01-10 sold by Ochi Sangyo. For inquiries, call 0120-301-359. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, the batteries in two of the faulty fire-alarms went dead in about two months, instead of 10 years and two years as advertised. (Kyodo)

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Document shows secret U.S.-Japan pact on Okinawa reversion

WASHINGTON, United States - Photo shows copies of a recently declassified U.S. government document that confirmed the existence of a secret pact between Washington and Tokyo concerning the 1972 reversion of Okinawa to Japanese rule. Under the secret pact, Japan assumed the $4 million cost the U.S. was supposed to pay to restore Okinawa land to its original state as ''the classified U.S.-GOJ (the government of Japan) understanding'' and Japan has asked the U.S. to flatly deny the existence of such a pact to press inquiries.

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Securities firm busy as Japan Post, 2 units debut on TSE

Staff at a contact center of Daiwa Securities Co. in Tokyo receive customer inquiries on Nov. 4, 2015, over the listing of Japan Post Holdings Co. and its banking and insurance units on the main section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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McLaren-Honda F1 team driver Magnussen speaks in press interview

Kevin Magnussen, a Danish driver for the McLaren-Honda Formula One team, responds to press inquiries after a free practice in Melbourne on March 13, 2015. He replaced Spanish driver Fernando Alonso at the last minute for the Australian Grand Prix race. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Flight schedules affected by typhoon

TOKYO, Japan - Airline workers are busy handling travelers' inquiries about flights at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Aug. 26, after Typhoon Mawar forced the cancellation of some domestic and international flights out of the airport. (Kyodo)

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Eating utensils donated to Niigata quake victims

NIIGATA, Japan - Students of the Kashiwazaki Comprehensive High School in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture use their school gymnasium to sort out eating utensils donated by people around Japan to victims of the July 16 earthquake in Niigata. The donation campaign was launched by a Kobe-based non-profit organization after the city was destroyed by the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake. Isao Arai, head of the NPO Himawari-no-Yume Kikaku (Project Sunflower Dream), says the utensils would be distributed to the quake victims from mid-August after they move into temporary housing being built by the government. Phone number for inquiries on the donation campaign: 078-787-7387. (Kyodo)

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Mask maker ups production on flood of orders amid SARS scare

ASAHIKAWA, Japan - Workers at Japan Medical Products Co., a major manufacturer of surgical masks based in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, are busy. The company has been flooded with orders and inquiries from individuals and companies due to concerns over the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). (Kyodo)

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Can't wait to enter elementary school

IWAKI, Japan - A girl, who will enter elementary school at the start of the new academic year in early April 2011, wears the backpack she will use for school on April 1 in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, an area devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that has been heavily affected by radiation leaks from a local nuclear power plant. According to the Iwaki municipal board of education, it is receiving nearly 100 inquiries each day from worried parents asking if it is safe for their children to go to school and be exposed to the air. (Kyodo)

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Demand soars for tennis star's favorite fish

MATSUE, Japan - Inquiries have been swelling with fish merchants in western Japan about the rosy seabass, shown in this file photo taken on Sept. 29, 2014, since Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori revealed his liking for the fish at a press conference following the 2014 U.S. Open Championships in June. The high-priced fish, called "nodoguro" (black throat) in Japan, is a specialty of his home prefecture of Shimane. (Kyodo)

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New coronavirus

A nonregular employee at a call center in Tokyo holds a plea document on April 24, 2020, asking for the employer to strengthen measures against the new coronavirus in the office. Many call center workers have expressed concern about their working environment as they answer inquiries from customers all day long in closed and crowded offices. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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New coronavirus

A nonregular employee at a call center heads to her company in Tokyo on April 24, 2020, to file a plea document with the employer, asking for strengthened measures against the new coronavirus in the office. Many call center workers expressed concern about their working environment as they answer inquiries from customers all day long in closed and crowded offices. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Ailing crow found infected with bird flu virus in Osaka Pref.

OSAKA, Japan - Officers at Ibaraki Police Station are busy answering calls of inquiries March 10 after an ailing crow caught in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture, has tested positive for bird flu virus. The crow was taken to the police station on March 5 by a person who caught it. (Kyodo)

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N. Korea does U-turn on join Korean table tennis team

OSAKA, Japan - Officials of the organizing committee for the table tennis world championships, to begin in Osaka in April, are busy answering inquiries March 28 following reports that North Korea has done a U-turn on an agreement to form a united Korean table tennis team for the championships.

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Telecoms start taking 'Myline' preferred-carrier applications

TOKYO, Japan - Telephone operators are busy Jan. 10 as carriers across Japan began accepting applications for a new, industry-wide service to be launched in May called ''Myline,'' which allows users to select their preferred carrier. As many as 2,000 calls, including inquiries, were received in the morning alone at the two Myline centers jointly set up by the 13 carriers, reflecting user interest.

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Tokyo travel agency hit with inquiries on Austrian train fire

TOKYO, Japan - Employees at a travel agency in Tokyo on Nov. 12 rush to respond to inquiries in the wake of a train fire in Austria in which 10 Japanese are feared to be among the dead. About 170 people were killed when a funicular train packed with youthful skiers caught fire in an Alpine tunnel in northern Austria on Nov. 11. The Japanese were on their way to Mt. Kitzsteinhorn via the train but it is uncertain whether they were actually aboard the train when the tragedy occurred.